Nepveu House - Gravenstraat 6 [X 1996]

1983

The building at Gravenstraat #6 used to be the most monumental house in Paramaribo. It was build in 1774, commissioned by Governor-General Jean Nepveu. The layout was French, with the grandeur of a main section, placed to the back, and two wings; thus creating a court in front of the building with monumental steps leading towards the main door. At the same time the architectural tradition was unmistakably Surinamese. Which proves that the Surinamese wood-architectural style was already quite developed at that time.

The building had a brick basement with a lot of cellar windows. The central part was 5 bays in width, the two wings 2 wide and 3 deep.

Both front and rear had a brick flight of stairs in the axis; the one in the back formed the extension of a stair tower that was attached to the house and was maybe even more imposing than the one in front. The two floors were stately, the house was higher than the House of Parliament next door. The pavilion roofs were covered with slate, the centre part and wings all had a dormer.

The General Affairs Department settled in the building in 1962, after it had served many purposes, e.g. that of the freemason lodge Concordia.